From F1 25 to Mario Kart World: Why the Racing Category at The Game Awards Might Be the Real Main Event
November 19, 2025
In most years, the racing category at The Game Awards is an afterthought — something thrown in between Best RPG and Best Narrative as if to tick a box. But not in 2025. This time, the track is the battleground. F1 25, Mario Kart World, Sonic Racing CrossWorlds and a handful of surprise contenders are giving the category more energy than Game of the Year itself — and Australian motorsport fans have never been more invested. (Game Awards 2025 indie takeover)
Finally, a racing category worth arguing about
In past years, racing categories at award shows have felt like leftovers — thrown in because someone remembered Gran Turismo exists. Not this year.
Between F1 25, Mario Kart World and Sonic Racing CrossWorlds, we’ve got three games with completely different cultures, audiences, and stakes — and strangely, they’re all legitimate contenders. Throw in EA, Nintendo and Sega in the same lane and suddenly… this feels like Bathurst with neon paint and digital bananas.
The breakdown: who’s competing and why it matters
The category isn’t just a list.
It’s a personality clash.
F1 25: The most “Australian” nominee of the night (Game Awards 2025 indie takeover)
Let’s be honest — no country plays motorsport games the way Australia does. We grow up watching Bathurst, Supercars, F1, MotoGP. We argue about tyre compounds like they’re politics. F1 25 being nominated isn’t just good news for EA — it’s a win for every Aussie who’s ever stayed up at 2am to watch a Grand Prix.
It’s technical, punishing, and requires discipline. Exactly the kind of racing we respect.
Mario Kart World: The game that doesn’t need to be “serious” to win – Game Awards 2025 indie takeover
It’s colourful, chaotic, and powered by bananas — and yet, Mario Kart World might be the favourite.
Not because it’s realistic, but because everybody on Earth knows what Mario Kart feels like.
Your nan knows.
Your cousin knows.
The woman behind you in the Woolworths checkout knows.
This isn’t just a game.
It’s a shared language.
Sonic Racing CrossWorlds: The wildcard with something to prove (Game Awards 2025 indie takeover)
If any game in this category has a chip on its shoulder, it’s this one. Sonic racers have always lived in Mario’s shadow. But CrossWorlds is fast, stylish, and full of personality — and it landed strong enough reviews to make people stop laughing and start paying attention.
Plus, Sonic fans might be the most loyal fanbase on the planet — they’ll show up, even if the world doesn’t.
Why this category matters more than you think (Game Awards 2025 indie takeover)
This might be the single most accessible category in the entire awards show. You don’t need to understand Elden Ring lore or Kojima metaphors — you just need to know how to hit accelerate.
Whether you’re a hardcore sim racer or someone who throws shells at your mates, this category shows what gaming is at its simplest: Competition + chaos + joy. And sometimes that’s more important than prestige.
The Game Awards 2025 may ultimately crown a new Game of the Year, but the most universally relatable and culturally explosive showdown is arguably unfolding on the racetrack, where F1 players are chasing realism, Nintendo fans are chasing pure fun, Sonic fans are chasing long-awaited redemption and everyone else is chasing bragging rights, and regardless of who takes the top spot, the true winner is the racing genre itself — a category that spent years being overlooked and is finally receiving the spotlight it deserves.